1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to probes and/or fixtures for testing and using integrated circuits.
2. Description of the Related Art
The cycle of the semiconductor product development includes: wafer processing, wafer testing, probing, cutting into single devices/chips, packaging devices, circuit insertion, module insertion, subsystem insertion, and system integration. A failure of semiconductor chip in any of these stages can be rather damaging. But the earlier the problem is identified, the sooner and less disastrous the consequence will be. In the product cycle, the chips are bare and easy to get to, even if they're Micronics in dimensions, but as they get integrated into the product hierarchy, they become embedded deep within other components. If they fail, the whole system will fail, and the remedies, if any, are fewer and more costly. The failure is often more catastrophic and costly as the level of integration increases. It is preferable if the chip fails before use, rather than during use. As the designers build more complexities into these chips, the need for improved test equipment becomes even more critical.